Swinging toy.



' F. C. HOWE.

SWINGING TOY.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.1. 1916.

1,217,309. Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2'7, 1917.

Application filed August 1, 1916. Serial No. 112,540.

,To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED C. Hown, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Swinging Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a toy consisting of a figure delicately balanced on a perch which is adapted to be suspended from a fixture and to swing backward and forward when set in motion, the effect of which is to cause the figure to balance itself and to turn back and front somersaults upon the perch, the comical movements of the figure being subject to numerous variations by shifting the positions upon the figure of a plurality of self-attaching weights.

With this end in view I have devised the novel swinging toy which I will describe, referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and using reference characters to indicate the several parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my novel y;

Fig. 2 a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 a perspective view on an enlarged scale of one of the detachable weights, and

Fig. 4 is a view on a reduced scale showing a variant figure.

10 denotes a perch which may be a ring or a rod as preferred, and which is adapted to be suspended by means of cords 11 from a fixture 19.. The fixture may be a portiere or curtain rod, a chandelier, bracket or anything that will provide room for the perch and figure to swing beneath it. 13 denotes the figure, which may be a parrot, monkey, acrobat, harlequin, or whatever may be preferred, and may be made of any suitable material as sheet metal, paper or wood, without limitation as to variations in the desi provided only that it will pass through the ring should a ring be used as a perch. The figure is provided with attaching arms 14, the outer ends of which are pivoted, permanently or detachably as preferred, on the perch. These attaching arms may be the legs and claws of a parrot or other bird, the fore or hind legs of a monkey or other animal, or the arms of a gymnast. The figure should be loosely pivoted on the perch, but it is not necessary that great care be taken in Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

balancing it thereon, as that would add appreciably to the cost of manufacture, and

moreover, I effect the balancing and changes of balance by means of detachable weights 15. These weights are preferably, although not necessarily, made substantially as shown in Fig. 3, in which I have shown a weight consisting of two parts carried respectively by the arms of a. U-shaped spring 16, the spring acting to carry the parts toward each other so that When a weight is pressed upon the figure with the parts of the weight on opposite sides of the figure, the weight will be self-retaining in place through the clamping action of the spring.

In use, it is simply necessary to suspend the toy from a chandelier or other fixture,

and give it a fairly vigorous push. The effect of the swinging movements of the perch and the delicate balancing of the figure thereon will be to cause the figure to perform many comical stunts, and the effect of the movements of the figure is to keep the perch swinging for quite a long time, sometimes as long as from seven toten minutes. The figure will frequently balance for an instant and seem to hesitate which way to turn. After making one or more somersaults, forward or backward, the figure will seem to change its mind and somersault the other way. Slight changes in the position of the weights will change the balance of the figure on the perch and will produce curious changes in the movements ofthe figure. One, two or more weights may be used, as preferred. In fact, experimenting with changes in the position of weights will add greatly to the amusement produced by the toy.

Having thus described claim:

1. A swinging toy comprising a suspended ring, a figure pivoted on the ring and adapt ed to somersault backward and forward through the ring.

2. A swinging toy comprising a suspended ring, a figure pivoted-on the ring and adapted to somersault backward and forward through the ring, and detachable weights adapted to engage the figure whereby the balance of the figure on thering may be changed and changes in the movements of the figure produced.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRED C. HOWE.

my invention, I

' Washington, D. 0'. 

